NEWCASTLE Falcons are now just two games away from guaranteeing themselves a promotion play-off semi-final after another routine Championship victory.

Taiasina Tu'ifua goes on the attack against Moseley at Kingston Park last night

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NEWCASTLE Falcons are now just two games away from guaranteeing themselves a promotion play-off semi-final after another routine Championship victory.

Running in six tries and conceding none in reply, there was a smidgen more swagger than their recent run of productive but uninspiring performances.

Gone was the stifling mud of Otley and Cross Keys, the league leaders making hay on a firmer track and showing much greater ambition than their wet-weather travails.

At the fore was Tom Catterick, their jack-in-the-box full-back who marked a sprightly performance with tries in the first two minutes of each half.

The Barnard Castle School old-boy has that sprinkling of stardust, and when Jimmy Gopperth floated a deft cross-kick to Ryan Shortland on the left he was there to collect the scoring pass and saunter down the touchline.

Gopperth’s conversion miss – one of four wayward pots at goal in an uncharacteristic off night with the boot – kept the margin to five, and even when opposite number Glynn Hughes stroked over a penalty the home side were not loosening their grip on the game.

This time it was a forwards effort as persistent pick-and-go down the right saw hooker Rob Vickers propelled over the line by his latch men, Gopperth’s extras securing a 12-3 lead which remained until the interval as his side’s intensity and direction dropped down a couple of notches.

Dean Richards insists he is a more relaxed beast these days, but it was hard to imagine a quiet dressing room at half-time given the fervour with which his players ran out for the second half.

Catterick again was the spark, the quick-footed full-back collecting a pass on the 22 and speeding down the right wing through a hole to score.

The former England Under-20s cap was again to the fore in the move that delivered his side’s four-try bonus point, jinking, bursting and creating the gap through which Gopperth scored down the left.

The Kiwi marked his touch-down with a Chris Ashton-style dive, firing wide with the conversion but knowing the job was done.

The closing half-hour was a case of the league leaders making the most of their forward dominance, their early exertions creating tired legs among a Moseley side who had defended for the bulk of the evening.

Ollie Stedman’s introduction from the bench reaped instant dividends as the former Tynedale No 8 burst down the left to touch down.

A gnarly and niggly handful, his try was added to with the final play as Ally Hogg marked his comeback with a pushover score from scrum ball.

It had gone the way of the form book, and there is nothing wrong with that.